Nature is Good Self Defense

Growing up as a young boy, I spent a great deal of time playing and exploring the outdoors.

Why?

Because there was nothing keeping me in the house too!

We didn't have Xbox or game boys, we didn't have over a 100 channels of kids TV, in fact, we had just 3 channels in black and white.

We didn't have videos or dvd's of our favorite Disney or Pixar movies.

We didn't have Ipods, computers, lap tops or Ipads.

We didn't have cell phones with unlimited texting.

Sounds kind of boring! Yes?

It wasn't!

I grew up spending most of my days outside, away from my house.

We grew up playing football, baseball, and soccer.

We grew up playing games like "kick the can", or hide and seek; even pretended to be cowboys and Indians.

We grew up walking, running and bicycling everywhere in and outside our neighborhoods.

We grew up with Boy Scouts (or Girl Scouts), we hiked, we backpacked, we camped, we fished and we swam.

It was a world filled with nature and the outdoors and all the splendors it had to offer.

Sadly, today's children sit at home in front of the television or computer and hardly ever go outside. In fact, there have been numerous recent studies, suggesting, the current generation of children is growing up with a nature deficit disorder (Last Child in the Woods).

This disorder effects the psychological well being of our children.

And let's not forget the obesity epidemic in children and the rising rates of Diabetes among all children in the US population.

Sitting versus exercising and playing outdoors.....is this a coincidence?

We are raising a generation of children that have never played in the outdoors, never experienced nature first hand and learned to love all the beauty our planet has to offer.

The below video speaks to this.....

The good news is it's not too late.

Parents, introduce your children to the wonderful world that exists outside of your home. Help your kids take a break away from the television, video games, cell phones and computer!

This is good self defense for the soul!

Yes?



Sensei Chris Feldt
Samurai Karate Studio
Columbia, SC 29229
803-462-9425
samuraikartestudio@gmail.com

Living Hero

Fauja Singh says he lives 'a very simple life'. Photograph: Chris Young/AP

I found this inspiring person from the Daily Good and have re-posted the brief biography they provided on their website.  This man is incredible, not only for his physical abilities at his age, but we can all take a lesson from his philosophy about money, food and life!

Rock On!

'Anything worth doing is going to be difficult," says Fauja Singh, the100-year-old runner who this week became the world's oldest person to complete a full-length marathon, crossing the line at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront event in eight hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds. (And he didn't finish last: five came in after him.)


At five foot eight and weighing a little more than eight stone, Singh is a spindly figure under his heavy turban and wispy beard. "Girl, you tell me: has anything you wanted ever been easy?" he says. "I was so worried we [he ran with his trainer] might not make it that we didn't tell our relatives we were doing it. I just wanted to break that bloody record."


He is referring to the record set in 1976 by a 98-year-old Greek athlete. "I lost my speed in this race," says Singh, "but it was the thought of that old man that pushed me through the last four miles. That and God."


Speaking in Punjabi, Singh says running has given him purpose and a sense of peace. "Why worry about these small, small things? I don't stress. You never hear of anyone dying of happiness." And Singh is, by his own admission, pretty happy. Having moved from India to England in 1995, after the deaths of his wife and son, he lives with family in east London, and leads what he says is "a very simple life".


He took up serious running when he was 89 and says it was his good kismet (destiny) that led him to meeting ex-professional runner Harmander Singh, his trainer and friend. The pair were introduced through a neighbour after Fauja began asking how he might enter the London marathon.


"I train him for free," says Harmander. "It's an honour for me." Together, they have clocked up more than a dozen full and half-marathons.


Harmander says health tests taken last year showed that Singh "has the bones of a 35-year-old". And yet, Singh claims never to drink milk. "I'm scared of building up phlegm," he explains.


Asked about the rest of his diet, he chuckles. "I could go on and on, but it's not a new or magic thing, is it? Punjabi people know eating and drinking is important, but I just eat the minimum of what I need: some daal and roti, gobi and chai – I'd probably be dead if I was full all the time."


Singh runs between 10 and 15km every day – "you have to keep your engine going" – and at 94, became a poster boy for Adidas, alongside David Beckham and Jonny Wilkinson.


"I'm not really interested in all the rupees, I give it to charity," he says of his sponsorship deal. "Money can be saved and spent and lost and made. At my age it's nice just to do this. Come on, who wants to talk to this old man? Everyone now! And it's because of the running that all these people keep showing me so much love. Look how blessed I am. What's not to be happy about?"


This blog post is a part of The Ultimate Black Belt Test (ultimateblackbelttest.com), an undertaking of The 100 (the100.us), and a part of Samurai Karate Studio (samuraikaratestudio.net).

Sensei Chris Feldt
Samurai Karate Studio 
Columbia, SC 29229
803-462-9425
samuraikaratestudio@gmail.com

October Is Domestic Violence Month

Last Thursday, I was invited by my friends at WLTX TV to come onto their morning show and talk about the free self defense workshop I was doing in honor of Domestic Violence month.

You can see a video of the segments below:

Thanks again to WLTX for being such a gracious host.


Sensei Chris Feldt
Samurai Karate Studio
Columbia, SC 29229
803-462-9425
samuraikaratestudio@gmail.com

Halloween Safety Tips

Our martial arts school is asking parents, homeowners and drivers throughout our community to join with us to make Halloween safer with these safety tips.

Parents

· Make your child eat dinner before trick-or-treating.

· Children should carry quarters, so they can call home.

· An adult should accompany young children.

· If your children go on their own, be sure they wear watches, preferably those that can be read in the dark.

· Buy or make costumes with flame-retardant material.

· Older children should know where to reach you and when to return home.

· You should know your children’s route for the evening.

· Although tampering is rare, tell your children to bring their candy home to be inspected before consuming anything.

· Look at the wrapping carefully and toss out anything that looks suspect.

Homeowners

· Buy candy that is individually wrapped.

· Consider healthier alternatives for treats: juice boxes, packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling, single-serve boxes of cereal, packaged fruit rolls, mini-boxes of raisins, packaged granola bars, and wrapped single-serving packages of microwaveable popcorn that can be popped later.

· Consider non-edible treats for children: pencils, erasers, plastic rings or coins.

· Clear your yard of debris, ladders, dog leashes, flowerpots, etc.

· Make sure your home and yard is well lit.

· Make sure your jack-o-lanterns are away from the path where trick-or-treaters will be walking. Battery-powered jack-o-lantern candles are preferred to real candles.

· Ensure that any decorations can’t be blown into the jack-o-lantern and catch on fire.

· Make sure that your pets are secure for the evening.

· Do not invite any children to come into your home. Prop the door open while handing out candy, never ask them to stand in the doorway.

· If a child needs assistance, ask them for their parent’s phone number and offer to call them.

· If you think a child is in danger, call 911 and stay outside with the child.

Drivers

· Drive carefully over hills, around curves and approaching stop signs or cross walks.

· Enter and exit driveways with caution.

· Watch for children walking in the street in neighborhoods without sidewalks.

Sensei Chris Feldt
Samurai Karate Studio 
2000 Clemson Road
Suite # 9
Columbia, SC 29229
803-462-9425
samuraikaratestudio@gmail.com

The Legacy of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs recently left us, falling victim to Cancer after battling this horrid disease for several years!

 

Even though he passed away at the relative young age of 56, he had radically changed the world we lived in.  The Apple computer, the Ipod, the Ipad and the Iphone; just a few among the over 200 products he developed.

 

He created a special company devoted to creating movies for children called Pixer and spun out many classic stories, the first being Toy Story.  Today, Pixer is the largest animated film studio in the world.

 

Below is a video of Steve Jobs addressing a graduating class at Stanford University.  Intensely private, Steve Jobs almost never talked about himself, however, during this commencement address he talked about his own life and offered great advice to the graduates.

 

It gives you insight into the man, his passion and his life.

 

 

 

We will miss you Mr. Jobs!



Thank you for your vision of the world!

Sensei Chris Feldt
Samurai Karate Studio
Columbia, SC 29229
803-462-9425

One Day!

 

There is so much conflict in the world!  

From the Middle East to Afghanistan to Iraq.

From the Arab Spring which has resulted in regime change and the loss of thousands of lives.

From the economic crisis in America and Europe, with the near collapse of our banking system, that is slowly reaching into Asia.

From the Tea Party rally's to the Wall Street demonstrations.

From the high unemployment rate with millions without a job, to a growing homeless population.

 

The left is attacking the right and vice-versa.

 

Washington has mastered the art of the "blame game" with neither party accepting responsibility for what is going on.

 

One Day!

 

I am confident that one day, we will be part of a kinder, gentler world, because of the work we are doing!  As school owners, we have audience to a large sphere of influence if we make the most of it.  

 

Our curriculum touches on all things human -- strong and vibrant as well as frail and compassionate.  

We have the power to CHANGE the world; one student, one parent, one community at a time!

 

One Day!

 

  

 

This blog post is a part of The Ultimate Black Belt Test (ultimateblackbelttest.com), an undertaking of The 100 (the100.us), and a part of Samurai Karate Studio (samuraikaratestudio.net).

 

 

New FBI Child Id

Dedicated to Polly Hannah Klaas 1981-1993

October 1 was the 18th anniversary of the kidnapping of Polly Klaas. If she were alive today, Polly would be 30 years old.

We honor all missing children today-- those whose whereabouts are still unknown, those who have been slain, and those who were kidnapped as children, recovered and are now building productive lives as they grow up and become adults.
______________________________

Things have changed since Polly’s kidnapping. With the active participation of our members, who used the Polly Klaas Foundation website to contact their elected officials, Amber Alerts are now the law in all 50 states and at the Federal level.  Also, law enforcement organizations now have protocols for communicating with one another in missing child cases. Best of all, a missing child report takes the highest priority. We applaud the law enforcement community who over the years have incorporated new procedures and new technological tools to respond to the news of a child being kidnapped.

In that spirit, we are truly pleased to see the latest technological innovation to help find missing children. The FBI has issued its first and only smartphone app—to help parents quickly report that their child has gone missing.


The FBI’s Child ID App

The FBI’s Child ID app is now available to all iPhone users, apps for other mobile devices are on their way. Launched in August 2011, the app allows you to store each of your children’s vital information & current photo on your smartphone (not with the FBI or itunes.)

In the unlikely event that your child goes missing, the app allows you to instantly shoot out an email with this vital information to the appropriate agencies. This app is a powerful tool, literally in the palm of your hands, if your child ever goes missing or gets lost.

5 Reasons why we are excited about the FBI Child ID app:

1. The app contains invaluable safety tips that you can review with your child. Use these tips as a jumping off point to rich discussions with your child. Use PKF’s free Child Safety Kit  as a guide to teaching abduction prevention without scaring your child or yourself.
2. A tab within the app contains two hot buttons for 9-1-1 and for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: One touch and you’ll be connected.
3. Another tab within the app contains useful checklists/guidelines for a searching parent during the first 24 and 48 hours a child is missing. Included in that tab is a user guide and other “Helpful Links and Resources.”
4. The FBI assures users that all data stored within the app will reside solely in your phone and will not be stored by the FBI or iTunes… unless you decide to share/e-mail that information to other agencies.
5. The FBI plans to add more features in the coming months and plans to broaden its reach beyond iPhone users to other mobile devices

The fact that the FBI’s first and only app is an app dedicated to child safety should be applauded. We are thrilled that government agencies are placing the safety of children as the highest of priorities.
______________________________

You can learn more about the foundation by visiting Poly Klaas Foundation.

My Online Neighborhood

This is a cute AND practical way of introducing your younger child to the internet and what 3 rules you should enforce!

Remembering Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai died this last week, of cancer. This link will take your to a an ON BEING interview with Krista Tippet --with Maathai. 

Maathai is worth studying, even if you only listen to her on the link above, as she was a no-BS MASTER of getting things done. She broke down 100's of barriers, overcame obstacles that 99% of the population would run from ---and at great personal risk, she made things happen.

THAT is what I feel our work at SKS is about. You haven't trained in the martial arts all these years to sit on the sidelines!

You're here to do GRAND WORK with people of all ages. You're here to demonstrate The New Way. If you didn't know Wangari Maathai while she was alive, get to know her now. She's a great "high water mark" for you to have in your life --when you ask yourself the question, "What can I do to make a difference in the lives of others?" 

That is a Black Belt!

Yes?

Sensei Chris Feldt

Samurai Karate Studio

803-462-9425

Answers From The Heart

 

Since Coach Callos introduced me to the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh a couple of years ago, he has quickly become one of my favorite authors.  He has written many excellent books on a wide range of topics, and one of my favorites is "Answers From The Heart".

 

The focus on the book is to give "practical responses to life's burning questions".  The questions range from controlling anger, to tempering our fears, to questions about illness and death, learning how to be happy, to learning how to live in the present, even offers advice on how to effectively meditate.

 

I look at many of the questions asked in this book and consider most of them to be rather complex -- yet, Thich Nhat Hanh does such a wonderful job of breaking these complex questions down and providing simple, yet thought provoking, answers!  He writes in such a way that is truthful and comforting.  I leave this book by my bed, as I like to come back to certain passages that very compelling and need reaffirming.

 

If you haven't had the chance to read any of Thich Nhat Hanh's books, I highly recommend you start off with this one.  

 

Thanks again Tom, for introducing him to me.

 

"The mind can go in a thousand directions.  But on this beautiful path, I walk in peace.  With each step, a gentle wind blows.  With each step, a flower blooms."

Thich Nhat Hanh

 

 

 

This blog post is a part of The Ultimate Black Belt Test (ultimateblackbelttest.com), an undertaking of The 100 (the100.us), and a part of Samurai Karate Studio (samuraikaratestudio.net).